A FORMER city restaurateur who embarked on a mission to feed Glasgow's schoolchildren is on track to feed his 7,500th child next week.

Craig Johnson sprung into action after he became fed of hearing reports about food giants throwing items away while children throughout the city went hungry.

As the man behind the former Loop restaurants on Bath Street and Ingram Street, he quickly rallied a chef and the help of some unlikely team members, such as his sister-in-law and a young student, to get his plan off the ground.

During the Easter holidays the small team managed to provide meals for around 2,000 children.

And, thanks to a partnership with charity Achieve More Scotland and a Skypark-donated kitchen, the newly formed Launch Foods travelled to summer clubs across Glasgow to feed a further 7,500 kids.

Craig told the Evening Times: "I'm annoyed that I have to do this to feed kids, I'm really sad Glasgow is in this situation where the need is there. As a proud Glaswegian, it makes me sad.

"There's kids we will know along your street or your relatives street and we try to shut it out and get on with our lives but we can't.

"It's fantastic the work we do in out countries but we can't forget out own. We can't have kids going hungry in this city."

The Skypark team has donated space, financial support and a vehicle to turn around a working kitchen in a week to allow the firm to take off.

Launch Foods, a not-for-profit enterprise preps 350 free children’s meals every day and loads up its truck to travel to the city's worst off areas.

But Craig, who hails from Whiteinch but now resides in Newton Mearns, hopes he won't be needed for long.

He said: "It's been lovely because everyone seems to pull together to make it happen.

"But I know this isn't a long-term solution. I don't want Launch to exist. It shouldn't exist.

"The problem needs to be solved."

He added: "I lived in Spain for a few years and when I came back to Glasgow I couldn't believe it.

"I know what an empty fridge looks like and I just thought in this day and age this has to stop.

"It's not just the poverty-stricken areas of Glasgow that are struggling, there are people just trying to pay their mortgage never mind food."

Launch aims to provide meals for youngsters in a fun way without the stigma which, he says, children feel when attending foodbanks with their families.

Children are encouraged to get involved in the food creation process and explore the unique truck used to bring the products to the schools.

It has proved to be such a success, Craig and his team will partner with Glasgow City Council in the new school term to bring the service to five schools throughout the East End - and their keen to see it continue to grow.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “This is a partnership that we are keen to see develop as the council is committed to working with a variety of organisations to help tackle food poverty in our city.

“This summer – as part of the school holiday food programme – we have joined forces with almost 100 third sector and voluntary organisations and charities who are delivering holiday activities and serving thousands of meals daily to Glasgow’s children and young people.”

For more, visit here.